"I don't buy any of that garbage," Melnyk told TSN. "Five times? No, we're No. 6? How about seven and eight? At what point do you say, 'You know what? Maybe he's not changed.' You do this enough times, don't try to convince me or anybody else. People are way too intelligent. The guy gets suspended five times. That's how many times he's been suspended, never mind "

the meat of it: "At what point do you say, 'You know what? Maybe he's not changed"

the response: how about when he actually does something bad - which hasn't happened since his reformation

i think i said this earlier in this thread... if a person thinks that there is even the remotest of chances that cooke was planning on slicing his leg with his skate, they should shut their mouths because they are in no way qualified to talk about hockey.

i get that cooke is a villain around the league. i can understand people not caring for him as a player, particularly in places like boston. but to be so stupid to let that cloud your vision that you see this as anything other than a totally routine play gone wrong is just a whole other level of stupid.

Froggy wrote:i think i said this earlier in this thread... if a person thinks that there is even the remotest of chances that cooke was planning on slicing his leg with his skate, they should shut their mouths because they are in no way qualified to talk about hockey.

i get that cooke is a villain around the league. i can understand people not caring for him as a player, particularly in places like boston. but to be so stupid to let that cloud your vision that you see this as anything other than a totally routine play gone wrong is just a whole other level of stupid.

I cant remember if it was someone from this board, or an analyst on NHLN or what, but I think the best quote on this whole nonsense may be "Matt Cooke no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt. But he does deserve objectivity and fairness."

Just becuase the guy has a history doesnt mean every time he touches another player he intends to end their life.

Froggy wrote:i think i said this earlier in this thread... if a person thinks that there is even the remotest of chances that cooke was planning on slicing his leg with his skate, they should shut their mouths because they are in no way qualified to talk about hockey.

i get that cooke is a villain around the league. i can understand people not caring for him as a player, particularly in places like boston. but to be so stupid to let that cloud your vision that you see this as anything other than a totally routine play gone wrong is just a whole other level of stupid.

I cant remember if it was someone from this board, or an analyst on NHLN or what, but I think the best quote on this whole nonsense may be "Matt Cooke no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt. But he does deserve objectivity and fairness."

Just becuase the guy has a history doesnt mean every time he touches another player he intends to end their life.

Murray told Ottawa reporters yesterday that, in fact, he hadn't been directing his words at Crosby -- who he said embellished an interference minor against Senators forward Mike Comrie -- but at referee Don Koharski.

"Mike Comrie put a stick on Crosby and Crosby went down, and we know full well he's one of the more powerful skaters in the league," Murray said. "I thought it was a very incidental call, and that Crosby kind of dressed it up a little bit.

"So I was yelling at [Koharski] and I guess Crosby turned and yelled at me from the bench and then Therrien got excited. That's his nature.

"Crosby is one of those young people, and rightly so, that the league is promoting as the example of the new NHL and that, and when he turns -- I'm sure he's on camera quite often -- using the language he does, I don't think it's something you should do, that's all."

Therrien flatly rejected Murray's explanation a couple of hours before the Penguins' game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden last night.

"He was yelling at Sid," Therrien said.

Also contained in that link:

Jocelyn Thibault was something of a surprise starter in goal for the Penguins last night.

Not so much because Therrien opted to give No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury the night off after the shootout victory against Ottawa, but because Thibault had to survive a shot to the left side of his throat during the morning skate just to make it to the opening faceoff.

Thibault went on the ice with forwards Ronald Petrovicky, Nils Ekman and Chris Thorburn and defensemen Mark Eaton and Joel Kwiatkowski because he wanted to face some shots to get ready for the Rangers.

"Crosby is one of those young people, and rightly so, that the league is promoting as the example of the new NHL and that, and when he turns -- I'm sure he's on camera quite often -- using the language he does, I don't think it's something you should do, that's all."

bwhaaahahahah, I totally missed this when it happed. He was seriously upset about Crosby's language?!?!?! That is the funniest thing I think I have heard this week. So he wasn't interested in coaching his team but was more interested in making sure Sid doesn't swear when the camera is on him??? BWhahahahahahaha, that is HILARIOUS! My opinion of Bryan Murray just somehow got even lower. My opinion of Karlsson is also lower too. Am I the only one who finds it strange he is so often being referred to as "the best defensemen in the league"? I think he is a great player but I don't know if he is worthy of that praise yet.